Add some pop to your home decor with this fresh and fun DIY Gelli Printing Tutorial! Not only is gelli printing super easy and rewarding, but the availability of all-in-one kits makes this project even easier to dig right into!

My friend, Hillary Hardison, recently ventured into self-employment as a full time artist. In addition to creating her artwork, which includes a mix of encaustic paintings and mixed media collages, Hillary is also teaching art classes. DIY Gelli Printing was the first class she taught as the owner of Hardison Art LLC.

Hillary not only offers Saturday art workshops which enable you to learn a new skill but she also hosts Wine and Art Wednesdays on the second Wednesday of every month. (You can register for upcoming classes here.)

Hillary’s first Wine and Art Wednesday was this past Wednesday. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend this event in which she taught DIY gelli printing. Everyone had an absolute blast. Not only was the process of learning how to create gelli prints an informative and rewarding experience, but Hillary’s bright and positive personality made this class a complete gem.

What is DIY Gelli Printing?

Gelli printing is monoprinting using a gel printing plate. Because Gelli Arts® Gel Printing Plate is made out of a gel, it’s extra sensitive surface will imprint any texture that it is sitting upon or covered with. So you can use materials such as bubble wrap, plastic grids, foam stamps, stencils, leaves and string to create unique and beautiful prints.

Made using mineral oil and a hypoallergenic polymer material, this vegan monoprinting gelli plate is both vegan and latex free. As it’s not made using gelatin, which was the traditional method, there’s no shelf life so you are able to use your gelli plate over and over again.

As I enjoyed Hillary’s class on DIY gelli printing so much, I thought it’d be fun to share the process with you all as well. Following is my step-by-step tutorial on DIY gelli printing using the Gelli Arts® Gel Printing Plate.

Then remove the paper. You’ve now created the background for your first gelli print!

For the next step I used a stencil. Once again add a few drops of paint to the gelli plate, then spread the paint over the surface using a brayer.

Place the stencil on top of the gelli plate with the paint side up.

Now press the paper you just printed, image side down, firmly on top of the gelli plate and stencil. (The paint dries quickly so there’s not a lot of waiting.)

Remove the paper from the gelli plate. You’ve now successfully created a second layer to your print.

Your gelli plate will retain the portion of the stencil not printed.

So you can also press a fresh piece of paper on top of the remaining paint on the gelli plate to create a ghost image.

Continue creating your print by repeating the previous steps with different stencils and materials. Alternately, you can also roll paint onto a stamp to add to your work.

Or try adding additional details by painting free hand using a paint brush.

Here’s a shot of me with my first ever gelli print! These are so quick and easy to create that I made several different prints.

Here is an example of some other gelli prints that Hillary made, including the one she is holding, to demonstrate the process.

Another fun thing to try with your gelli plate is to apply rubber combs, stamps and brushes to the painted gelli plate to remove paint before printing. You can also use a spray bottle with water to spray the paint loaded gelli plate prior to printing for a neat effect.

Once you’ve finished making your prints, clean the gelli plate with hand sanitizer and a paper towel. Then place the gelli printing plate between two sheets of copy paper for storage.

You can use the DIY gelli printing method to make handmade cards, gift wrap, fabric patches and pretty much anything else you dream up!

If you’d like to join in on the fun at Hillary’s next Wine and Art Wednesday, you can pre-register for the class here. The next Wine and Art Wednesday is October 11th, 2017 at 6:30pm. It’s a two hour event that is held in the basement classroom of the Aurora Studio Center in downtown Roanoke, VA. Hillary will be teaching everyone to make their own beaded wine charms at the next class! (This is a make and take event.)

If you liked this DIY gelli printing project, then you may also enjoy my tutorial for making DIY Coasters. Made using blank letterpress coasters, this DIY instructs you on how to make fun and functional coasters for your home and to give as gifts.

This DIY coaster project is a fun way to spend an afternoon crafting! Dive into this easy weekend DIY with the kids, host a DIY craft night with the girls or simply lock yourself in your craft room and tackle these DIY coasters solo. Me being me, well, of course I chose to host another girls only craft night.

I started by purchasing a huge stack of blank letterpress coasters. Then I gathered my ridiculous craft stash of paints, washi tapes, scrapbooking papers, glitters and Mod Podge for what was probably one of the easiest make and take craft nights I’ve hosted. Combined with the wine and great company, this is the perfect project if life is weighing you down. Everyone came up with really creative coasters to take home and I felt like it was a great pick me up for all of us!

So get in some awesome adult time making your own functional and fabulous custom DIY coasters that your husband will never remember to use! Then, of course, be sure to share your finished project using the hashtag #soapdelishowoff on instagram so I can see what you came up with!

What You’ll Need:

What To Do:

If you want to make washi tape coasters, begin by applying Mod Podge to the top side of your coaster blank using a foam brush. (You can tell which side is up as the top curves down on the side to the bottom whereas the bottom is completely flat.)

Next, apply strips of washi tape across the top of your coaster so they line up and each tape edge touches that of the one beside it. Cover the entire top of the coaster with the washi tape. Once you’ve covered the top of the coaster, use a pair of scissors or an X-ACTO knife to cut off the excess tape from around the coaster.

Now add another layer of Mod Podge over the washi tape. If desired, you can then dust the top with glitter then cover with another layer of Mod Podge. Allow the Mod Podge to dry, then seal your coaster with several coats of a clear acrylic sealer.

To use scrapbook papers for your DIY coasters, flip the paper over so the image side is down. Then trace around the coaster on your paper. Carefully cut out the circle you traced just inside the line you drew. Then, glue the paper to the blank letterpress coaster with Mod Podge, applying one layer to the coaster, then another over the scrapbook paper once you’ve glued it onto the coaster.

Once dry, trim off any excess paper and seal with a clear acrylic sealer.

My friend, Hillary, chose to use a combination of techniques. She used scrapbook papers, washi tape, chipboard elements and paint on her coasters!

And because these DIY coasters were so quick and easy to make, she also had time to paint a matching planter from an unfinished modern ceramic planter that I’d picked up at Target!